


A Dinner Party

by eggboyksoo



Series: chaos, family, love [4]
Category: NCT (Band), WayV (Band)
Genre: Cats, Chaotic Children, Comedy, Dinner Parties, Family, M/M, bongshik - Freeform, jungwoo and everyone younger are kiddos, lee jeno is a golden child, mentions of chanyeol, renjun yangyang and chenle are kunten's kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 05:21:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20040595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eggboyksoo/pseuds/eggboyksoo
Summary: The dinner parties thrown by the Lee-Seos are so routine now that they're basically predictable... until they're not.





	A Dinner Party

**Author's Note:**

> so i started this on twitter and basically never finished it lmaoooooo, but here it is after a long time! we are finally getting a glimpse at all the families within the universe!! each family have their own stories to tell (some more so than others) and hopefully i get around to more stories at some point, because i really do love this universe. anyways, hope you enjoy!

Like a lot of things associated with the Lee-Seos, everything that goes down at Taeyong and Johnny’s dinner parties can be timed perfectly to the minute.

Taeyong hosts them once a month—a collection of friends he’s had since college, friends by extension, and members of the PTA of the incredibly expensive private school they were all sending their kids—on the second Tuesday of the month. Taeyong insists every time for them not to bring anything, but everyone usually does. It used to be an opportunity to upstage each other, but it's so routine now that Ten has bought the same red and white wines to dinner for years at this point.

Doyoung and Sejeong always arrive first, because even if there wasn’t a competition to start with, they love to win. Kun and Ten usually follow after them, not punctual enough to be a whole fifteen minutes early, but early enough that Kun doesn’t constantly check the time on the drive there. Almost every month, they stumble across Jeno watching Donghyuck with a puzzled look on his sweet little face, as the younger one tries to sell his latest crazy plan. Every month, Kun has to firmly remind his kids to greet all the adults before Renjun and Yangyang run off to join Jeno and Donghyuck in their antics.

Chenle always waits until Jaehyun and Sicheng arrive with Dejun and Jisung before he leaves their side with a happy shriek, the two babies of the group often conjuring up their own madness in their own corner of the living room.

The only unpredictable part of the arrivals is Taeil and Yuta. Sometimes Jaemin tackles Renjun when they arrive, or Jungwoo is sitting with the older kids as they try to talk about things to impress him. Sometimes they show up half an hour late, Jungwoo on the phone frantically texting, Yukhei and Jaemin talking over each other to explain why they were so late.

This month, it’s the latter. “Sorry, Mr Taeyong,” Jaemin says from where he’s perched on Yukhei’s back, “Papa was talking to us about _insect-ality_.”

“Intersectionality, Nana,” Jungwoo corrects him, ruffling his hair. Yuta puffs up with pride.

“It couldn’t wait for another time?” Doyoung asks, holding a glass of red.

Yuta shrugs. “I never waste an opportunity to teach my kids an important life lesson.”

Doyoung turns towards Taeil, eyebrow raised, but Taeil merely shrugs. “It was justifiable, and an important lesson to teach. We didn’t keep everyone from eating, did we?”

“You’re just in time!” Taeyong calls from the kitchen.

Taeil looks over at Jungwoo, the fifteen-year-old towering over his father. “I’ll go ask if he needs any help.”

Taeyong never needs any help, of course, but Jungwoo and then Kun still try to insist before they’re ushered to their seats. The adults take their place at the dining table, the kids on a fold-out table next to them, each sitting in the seats they always sit at. Taeyong and Johnny bring the main dishes out, and then they begin to dig in.

The drama usually begins as soon as Ten’s halfway done eating, pouring himself a healthy glass of white wine. Tonight, he looks over his kids, shooting Yangyang a look that has his son remove the chips he’s stuck up his nostrils, in an attempt to stop Chenle and Jisung from choking on their food from laughing too hard.

Unfortunately, Doyoung also sees Yangyang.

“Your kids really… have a sense of humour,” Doyoung says, nibbling on a vegetable and looking scarily like a rabbit. His tone has the back of Ten’s neck prickling, like he hasn’t seen Jeno shove food up his nose before.

(He probably hasn't. Jeno truly is the perfect child.)

“He’s just trying to make the babies laugh.” Ten tries to play it off, taking a healthy sip of wine. “I made him stop before he injured his sinuses--no harm, no foul.”

“Yangyang is really funny,” Taeyong says with a smile. “Donghyuck always talks to us about wanting to play with Yangyang.”

Ten _swears_ he hears Doyoung mumble, _“Birds of a feather,”_ as he takes a sip of his own wine. Sejeong’s hand briefly closes around Doyoung’s arm, and Kun puts a hand on Ten’s knee under the table and smiles. “Likewise. Yangyang is always calling Donghyuck a genius.”

Johnny laughs. “I think ‘genius’ is a nice way of putting it.”

“He’s certainly creative,” Taeil pipes up. “Jaemin came home the other day with this story about something Donghyuck did at the playground and it took him their entire lunchtime for him to tell. He loved it.”

“Anything that holds Jaemin’s attention for that long is pretty incredible,” Yuta nods.

Taeyong’s smile is now a full-blown beam. “He gets it from his dad.”

“How are Dejun’s guitar lessons going, Jae?” Johnny asks. Sicheng’s nephew-slash-pending-son had just been enrolled the last time they’d met. “Chanyeol been okay to him?”

Jaehyun tenses suddenly, prompting Sicheng to laugh. “Don’t mind him, he’s sensitive,” Sicheng says, putting down his cutlery. “He’s just jealous Chanyeol plays five instruments and he’s only mastered the piano, which Dejun currently thinks is ‘uncool’.”

“He bowls,” Jaehyun adds. “We’re all going bowling next week. Having a competition.”

“You haven’t bowled since high school,” Doyoung says.

Ten always forgets they’ve known each other the longest—he’s pretty sure they were on the student council together or something. It’s the only thing makes sense.

Sicheng laughs harder. Jaehyun’s ears turn pink. “He’s been practicing for hours after work.”

Everyone at the table laughs at Jaehyun’s antics. Everyone except Kun, who reaches across the table with a sympathetic pat. “I get it,” he says. “All you want is to make your kids proud.”

Sejeong laughs. “Aren’t you the one with the kid who wants to be _exactly_ like you when you’re growing up? Chenle thinks you hung up the moon.”

Kun flushes pink. Ten knows it’s with pride, not embarrassment. “Ah, yes,” he says, nervously scratching the back of his ear, “But I’m not the cool dad, not by any stretch.” He looks over at Ten, eyes lingering on the new shirt Ten is wearing—sheer, lace collar, _very_ new season and too expensive to be wearing to dinner.

Ten tugs on the hem of Kun’s favourite cardigan before replying. “We can’t all be perfect, darling,” which is a lie. “Besides, if I’m not the cool one, I’m not sure what I’d be.”

Kun turns, ready to protest, but Yuta snorts. “Kids love you,” he says. “You always treat them like they’re worth your time.”

“Because they are!”

“Because you respect them as human beings, who just need some guidance, and not as accessories,” Yuta says with a nod.

Yuta is honest to a fault, so hearing compliments from the person who often brings up problematic tropes in the media is always super nice to hear. “Thank you,” Ten says, with a shy smile.

Kun takes Ten’s hand and kisses the back of it. “There’s no one else I’d want to raise a family with,” he says with a smile.

“Same here,” Ten replies, voice fond. Sure, they don’t have the big routine board like Taeyong and Johnny does and their kids aren’t on the honours roll, but, _but_. They’re fed, they’re happy and they’re loved. They’re wild, sure, but they’re good kids. Ten’s proud of his family, even if Yangyang stuffs chips in his nose--and seems to be moving onto broccoli, now, from what Ten can see out of the corner of his eye.

“Yangyang, no playing with your food,” Kun says, voice stern. “You too, Chenle,” he says, spotting their youngest holding a carrot stick, precariously close to his nose. “Mr Taeyong made the nice food for eating, not for putting up your nose.”

“You shouldn’t be putting _anything_ up your nose,” Ten adds. Sicheng’s eyebrows raise in amusement, but Ten’s sitting too close to the kids to be able to tell Sicheng to fuck off.

“Okay!”

Both Ten and Kun breathe a sigh of relief when the vegetables make their way safely onto their plate. Yangyang spears one of the unfortunate pieces of broccoli with his fork and pops it into his mouth. Ten grimaces, then sighs. “At least he’s eating his greens.”

“I heard Jaemin and Yukhei went to a soup kitchen last week,” Kun says to Taeil, a few minutes later. “Renjun keeps telling us all about it. We’d love to take him but I usually fly on Fridays, and Ten’s usually really busy at home.”

“Ah, it’s just one of the places we’ve been helping out at for years,” Taeil says with a smile. “Yuta and I used to go alone until Jungwoo was old enough to start coming, and we thought it was time that Yukhei and Jaemin joined in too.”

“We thought we’d wait a little while longer for both of them, they’re not even ten yet,” Yuta says, “But you know Jaemin. If we didn’t save his pocket money for him, he probably would’ve given it all away to the people he sees on the street. And Yukhei wouldn’t want to be left out. They both had a really good time though. Yukhei _did_ cry a little when he got back home once he realised all those people didn’t have homes to go to… but we’re trying to develop awareness of the world around us, and this is a good start.”

The parents around the table all respond with their own hums of approval. Ten doesn’t know how Taeil and Yuta do it. He’s terrified if he took his whole family to a soup kitchen, someone would end up with soup on their head.

“Renjunnie keeps saying he wants to go help out the people with you guys,” Kun says, “But Ten and I don’t know if it’s because he actually wants to help or because he wants to hang out with his friends more.”

Taeil shrugs. “Doesn’t really matter. As long as he’s interested in coming, that’s the most important thing.”

“Is it okay maybe if he goes with you one week?” Ten asks. “Just to see how he likes it. I won’t be able to come--I can’t leave Yangyang and Chenle on their own, and they shouldn’t go anywhere _near_ a soup kitchen--”

“That’s fine,” Taeil and Yuta echo. “We’ll take your kid!”

“When you say it like _that_, it sounds ominous.”

“That might be good for Dejun,” Sicheng says, in thought. “For getting him out of his shell, and all. Helping others with some of his friends.”

Johnny opens his mouth, probably ready to offer to hand over his kids to Taeil and Yuta before Taeil says, “Maybe we’ll see how it goes with Renjun and if that’s a success, we’ll plan a big outing with all the kids?”

“That sounds great!” Taeyong says. “Bonding activities while they help do something nice.”

“Jeno has a piano recital on a Friday in two weeks time,” Doyoung says, with a frown. “We’ll have to work around that…”

They make plans for a little while. Firstly about the big volunteering thing they want their kids to be doing, and who will come, who will chaperone. Then they talk about all the different playdates their kids had begged them to make. They talk about some of the hijinks their kids have gotten into (mainly Kun and Johnny) and some of their achievements (Jaehyun, Sejeong, Doyoung and Yuta).

Kun and Sicheng are talking about how Chenle and Jisung got themselves into trouble a week before when the parents’ conversation is overshadowed by the argument going down at the kids’ table. Strangely enough, it’s Jeno who is the loudest.

“No!” The usually mellow little boy yells, his fist hitting the table beside his plate. The entire room falls silent at Jeno’s little outburst. Ten realises it’s the first time he’s seen Jeno’s eyes crinkled into anything but a smile.

“But Jeno, you said your mommy and daddy won’t let you!” Donghyuck huffs, no stranger to drama. “We can’t give him to you, otherwise they’re gonna take him _away_.”

“If we ask, Baba and Phaw will let us keep him,” Renjun muses. “Phaw really likes--”

“Renjunnie, _shh_,” Hendery says, patting the younger on the back. “They’re staring--”

“Okay, what’s going on here?” Sejeong asks, head tilted, and the kids stare back at her, eyes wide and panicked.

_“No one say anything!”_ Donghyuck hisses, and Ten’s concern turns up another notch. All of their kids told their parents _everything_\--if there was something the kids didn’t want to talk about to their parents, it was serious.

There’s a look in each of his children’s eyes that he doesn’t like--_resolve_. Well, he’d like it in any other instance. Ten and Kun stare at their kids. Renjun, Yangyang and Chenle all stare back. Chenle doesn’t even _flinch_. Ten wonders when their kids are going to start full blown anarchy in their household.

Donghyuck raises an eyebrow, daring anyone to ask him any questions. His elder brothers, Mark and Hendery, stare off into space, avoiding the gazes of their fathers. Jungwoo pulls out his phone, but Ten’s unsure if he’s actually gotten a message or not, and Jaemin and Yukhei look around, nonplussed.

Jeno’s lip wobbles.

“Jeno,” Doyoung says, voice filled with concern, clearly unequipped for this, “Can you please tell us what’s going on?”

Jeno stares at his parents for a few moments, his lip beginning to tremble more with each second. Ten grips onto the hem of Kun’s cardigan in a panic. Whatever beef he has with Doyoung (who is fantastic, he supposes, but an asshole most of the time), Jeno is one of his favourite kids, and one of Renjun’s closest friends. He doesn’t want to see the kid break down. He’s never seen Jeno cry.

Jeno doesn’t burst into tears--he folds in on himself, letting out a pitiful little whimper. Everyone stares in shock for a heartbeat, the kids’ eyes widening comically before Jaemin, Doyoung and Sejeong launch out of their chairs in an attempt to comfort him.

“Donghyuck,” Johnny says, sounding incredibly tired for someone who was so lively moments before. “What’s going on?”

Donghyuck sighs as if the idea of telling his father the truth actually pains him. He gives Ten so many headaches, especially when he and Yangyang constantly get into trouble, but Ten loves drama, and Donghyuck has it in spades. “Fine,” Donghyuck says, curt. “On Thursday when we were coming from school, Jeno and I found a cat.”

“Bongshik,” Jeno says softly. “His name is Bongshik.”

Doyoung and Sejeong share a look. It’s a look Ten is familiar with--it’s the one he shoots Kun when the chaos his children create starts making sense.

“Jeno asked his mommy and daddy if he could have a cat,” Donghyuck says, “But they said no. They’re too busy and they can’t look after a cat. So he can’t take home Bongshik.”

“I was going to ask Baba and Phaw if we could have a cat,” Renjun cuts in. “I like cats. Phaw likes cats. Baba loves us.”

“Am I that easy to read?” Kun whispers into Ten’s ear, and Ten has to stop himself from snorting.

“Hang on, wait.” Taeyong holds his hands up, frowning. “Where is the cat--_Bongshik_\--” Taeyong corrects himself, as Jeno whimpers louder, “Now then? Why didn’t you tell us you found him?”

Mark sighs, deeply. He sits up a little bit and looks Taeyong in the eye. “He’s in the garage, Pa. We bought him some cat food, but he’s okay, but we’re almost out of pocket money and food, so we’ve been trying to find him a new home. But Jeno _really_ wanted to see him today, so we couldn’t tell you about him or give him to the shelter.”

Taeyong, honest to God, gasps. “_Boys_\--”

Hyuck shrinks a little in his seat, though he keeps his chin jutted out. “We didn’t tell you because Dad hates cats!”

“That’s not _true_,” Johnny immediately counters, sounding a lot like a petulant ten-year-old. “I’m just a little nervous around them now because of that cat that nearly scratched my eyeballs out a few years ago. That’s all.”

“Bongshikkie is from the street,” Hendery points out. “Dad would’ve taken him to the shelter before Jeno could say bye in case Bongshikkie wanted to eat his eyeballs.”

“Stop _saying_ that!” Jeno yells. “Bongshikkie is a nice cat! He would never eat Mr Johnny’s eyeballs!”

Jeno is worked up now, shuddering in his father’s grasp. Even Jaemin scooches away a little, sensing his friend is about to blow up, hiding behind Jungwoo. Doyoung rubs his son’s back, trying to soothe him. “Jeno,” he says, “We are very busy. It would be hard for a ca--_Bongshik_ to be home by himself.”

“He’s been doing okay in our garage!” Donghyuck pipes up.

Doyoung’s eyes narrow, as if he’s ready to shoot the youngest Lee-Seo a glare--which would go down _very_ well with Taeyong and Johnny--but he takes a deep breath instead, pinching the bridge of his nose. Thankfully, Sejeong, seeing his distress, steps in.

“You have allergies, Jeno,” she points out. “Allergies to _cats_.”

“I take hayfever medication!” Jeno replies, resolute. “I can take cat allergy medication and then I can be around Bongshik! I googled it!”

“Jeno…”

Jeno doesn’t beg or carry on, not like other kids trying to fight a battle they can’t win. Jeno hears the definitive tone in Doyoung’s voice and lets out one heartbroken wail.

It’s kind of terrifying. Ten doesn’t think a child should sound so sad, especially not over an animal he’s known for three days. But nothing Doyoung or Sejeong says stops him from crying. Jeno doesn’t say anything else--Ten doubts he’d get any words out, the poor tyke is crying so hard.

Something tugs at Ten’s leg. It’s Renjun, glassy-eyed, tears threatening to spill down his face. Their eldest son had always been a touch sensitive, and was prone to crying when others did too. From the corner of his eye, he could see Dejun crawling into Jaehyun’s lap for a cuddle, Yukhei sniffling into Yuta’s side.

“Phaw,” Renjun says, “Can _we_ keep Bongshik? So Jeno can see him sometimes? I don’t like seeing Jeno sad.”

“I don’t think you’re the only one, baby,” Ten says, looking around the room. “But we can’t. Baba and I are too busy to look after the cats, and I think you, Yang and Lele need to be a little older before you can look after a cat on your own. _Even_ with help from Jeno.”

Renjun sniffs. “Okay.” He lifts his arms, and Ten obliges him, carrying him and rubbing his back.

Sicheng, clearly uncomfortable with the sharp change in mood, turns to Hendery, who is watching Taeyong and Johnny lecture Donghyuck with a touch of fear. “Come on,” he says, “Show us the cat.”

* * *

Bongshik is a lazy tabby, lying by the plastic take-out container the boys have used as a make-shift food bowl. He’s not quite a kitten, not quite an adult, and surprisingly plump for a stray. Ten thinks he’s completely adorable and understands why Jeno would cry over him. He suddenly regrets telling Renjun they couldn’t take the poor kitty in.

“Bongshikkie,” Jeno sniffles, carefully making his way over to the cat. Bongshik stares back for a moment, before he moves to rub himself against Jeno’s legs. Jeno immediately throws himself on the ground to cuddle the cat, sneezing moments later.

“Aw,” Sicheng says. “They have a bond.”

Bongshik purrs. Jeno is gasping for air, clinging onto him—from sheer emotion or anaphylactic shock, Ten can’t tell.

Kun nudges Ten’s elbow. When Ten looks up, he watches his husband watch Doyoung and Sejeong, completely enthralled. They’re squabbling amongst themselves, a sight to behold—Ten and Kun are always squabbling, but Doyoung and Sejeong never seemed to have any arguments or problems.

All because of a cat. If Ten didn’t love Bongshik already, he did now.

“I think Jeno’s mommy and daddy will let Jeno keep Bongshik,” Donghyuck says, in what’s supposed to be a whisper, to his parents. “Otherwise he’s just gonna keep crying without him.”

It’s subtle, but Ten catches the subtle glance Jeno’s parents shoot each other. Ten grins.

“Jeno…” Sejeong starts, crouching on the ground where Jeno’s (unwisely) got his face nuzzled into the cat’s fur. “Having a pet is a big responsibility.”

“And it’s going to be extra difficult since you have allergies to cat fur,” Doyoung adds, pulling out his handkerchief, instructing Jeno to blow his nose. It’s still hard to tell what’s caused by the allergies and what’s caused by the crying, but Jeno’s whole face is puffy, nose runny. He dutifully follows his father’s orders, blowing pathetically. Ten’s heart breaks for him a little.

“I love Bongshik,” Jeno says as soon as he’s less congested.

“We can see that,” Sejeong responds.

“I wanna keep him. I’ll take my medications every day and I’ll feed him! I’ll set an alarm! I won’t forget. Donghyuck said he, Mark _and_ Hendery forgot to feed him, and there are three of them.”

There’s a sharp exhale from behind Ten—Taeyong. Ten knows that Taeyong is thinking about how this wouldn’t be a problem if his kids had _told_ him about the cat, and he would’ve put feeding times on his family daily schedule, but. Alas.

“You’ve always been really responsible,” Sejeong allows, watching Jeno reach out to pat Bongshik again. “I mean… if you want to look after Bongshik, you have to _promise_ that he’ll be your responsibility.”

“I promise!” Jeno perks up immediately, eyes wide as if he can’t believe what he’s hearing. “I’ll be the best cat dad ever!”

Jeno’s little chest puffs up, and his swollen eyes crinkle into his trademark grin. Ten sighs in relief. God, he needs another glass of wine. Ten hates sad kids.

They bring back Bongshik to the house, Jeno carrying him and trying not to sneeze into his fur. The other kids crowd around him, trying to get a look at the star of the night’s dinner party. Even the quiet Dejun shyly holds his hand out to pat Bongshik. Taeyong warns his kids that he’ll be talking to them later, and although Donghyuck clings to Jeno’s arm, Mark and Hendery are a little more reserved, clearly worried about the punishment to come.

Ten pours himself another full glass of wine. Seeing how overwhelmed Doyoung looks, Ten feels bad for him, and decides to pour him one too. “And now you know what it’s like for the rest of us,” he says, trying not to sound condescending. “At least you have only one of them.”

* * *

“I wanna cute pet like Bongshik,” Yangyang whines as Ten straps him into the car. “Bongshik looks mad sometimes and I think he’s cute.”

“Maybe when you’re older, Yangs,” Kun says quietly, having strapped in a sleepy Chenle into his booster seat.

“Phaw said when we were older we can get a cat,” Renjun says. “Cats are so cool.”

“How much older, Junnie?” Yangyang asks. “At my birthday?”

“Probably not.”

“I don’t want to wait until I’m all grown up!” Yangyang protests, voice rising enough that Chenle stirs a little. “That’s going to be _so_ long.”

“When you and Junnie are both ten,” Ten says, “Maybe we’ll talk.”

“That’s so _long_,” Yangyang repeats with a pout.

Renjun sighs heavily, like he’s aged beyond his years. “We have to reach nine first.”

Ten shares a look with Kun as his husband starts up the car. Their babies’ tenth birthday would reach them before they know it. They were so big already. “We need to make sure you’re responsible. And that you don’t forget to feed your cat.”

“Mark and Hendery and Donghyuck are just dumb dumbs,” Renjun says, “_We _wouldn’t forget. You and Baba wouldn’t let us! And we wouldn’t have to hide a cat in our garage either.”

And although Ten allows Kun to scold their son, his heart feels full, especially when he sees the ghost of the smile on his husband’s face.

**Author's Note:**

> in case people were confused as to which kids belong to who--  
kun & ten: renjun, yangyang, chenle (all adopted)  
johnny & taeyong: mark (taeyong’s biological son), hendery (adopted), donghyuck (johnny’s biological son)  
taeil & yuta: jungwoo (taeil’s biological son), yukhei, jaemin (both adopted)  
doyoung & sejeong: jeno (biological son)  
jaehyun & sicheng: dejun (sicheng’s nephew and ward, pending adopted son), jisung (jaehyun’s godson, pending adopted son)
> 
> phaw: thai word for father
> 
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/eggboyksoo)   
[cc](http://curiouscat.me/eggboyksoo)


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